another stuck fermentation thread

[TacoGuthrie]

Quick help on this one:

OG -1.072
Yeast:WY1098 (first time i've ever used this one) - 2L starter
2 weeks in primary. SG after 7 days 1.030. SG after 14 days 1.024.

After the high SG check at 7 days I did all my usual tricks to kick start finishing fermentation: Raised room temp to high 60s, low 70s. Twice daily agitation of the carboy.

Went to rack to secondary today and found it at 1.024.

What is the next step? I've got 2 oz of dry hops waiting in the empty carboy. I'd like to get the beer in there soon or else I'll lose those to mold. Could I pitch some rehydrated Notty or S-05 to finish this thing?

What are the downsides to just racking it? I'd probably still get some points knocked off if i just went right into the secondary, right?

HELP

 

[android]

need more info on the brewing of the beer. all grain? if so, what was your mash temp. it could be that it's just done. might not be much for fermentables left in the beer.

 

[TacoGuthrie]

All grain, ya. 152 mash temp so not too high.

Here is the recipe:

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: North Coast IPA English Yeast
Brewer: CJO
Asst Brewer: 
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 6.00 gal      
Boil Size: 7.23 gal
Estimated OG: 1.069 SG
Estimated Color: 7.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 103.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU      
13.00 lb      Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)            Grain        85.25 %       
1.25 lb       Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM)     Grain        8.20 %        
1.00 lb       Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)              Grain        6.56 %        
0.50 oz       Simcoe [13.00 %]  (Dry Hop 7 days)        Hops          -            
0.50 oz       Amarillo Gold [9.00 %]  (Dry Hop 7 days)  Hops          -            
0.50 oz       Zeus [14.00 %]  (90 min)                  Hops         20.2 IBU      
0.50 oz       Zeus [14.00 %]  (Dry Hop 7 days)          Hops          -            
0.50 oz       Centennial [9.50 %]  (Dry Hop 7 days)     Hops          -            
0.50 oz       Simcoe [13.00 %]  (90 min)                Hops         18.7 IBU      
0.25 oz       Simcoe [13.00 %]  (60 min)                Hops         8.8 IBU       
0.25 oz       Zeus [14.00 %]  (60 min)                  Hops         9.4 IBU       
0.25 oz       Simcoe [13.00 %]  (30 min)                Hops         6.7 IBU       
0.25 oz       Zeus [14.00 %]  (30 min)                  Hops         7.3 IBU       
0.75 oz       Zeus [14.00 %]  (15 min)                  Hops         14.0 IBU      
0.75 oz       Simcoe [13.00 %]  (15 min)                Hops         13.0 IBU      
1.00 oz       Cascade [7.00 %]  (5 min)                 Hops         3.4 IBU       
0.50 oz       Zeus [14.00 %]  (1 min)                   Hops         0.8 IBU       
0.50 oz       Simcoe [13.00 %]  (1 min)                 Hops         0.8 IBU       
1.00 tsp      Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)                Misc                       
12.00 gm      Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 min)  Misc                       
1 Pkgs        British Ale (Wyeast Labs #1098) [Starter 1Yeast-Ale                  


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 15.25 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time     Name               Description                         Step Temp     
60 min        Mash In            Add 19.06 qt of water at 164.8 F    152.0 F

 

[sjbeerman]

Did you use a stir plate for the starter? What was the production date?

 

[TacoGuthrie]

No stir plate.

I made the starter on March 4. Pitched it about 48hrs later on march 6th.

As mentioned it was about a 2L starter. I did not decant.

I had a lot of airlock activity, pretty quickly.

 

[TacoGuthrie]

1.072 to 1.024 is 66% Attenuation. I think i'll rack it over tomorrow after giving it a few more rousings today.

 

[hadabar]

I don't think you'll get alot more points farther down...it's already at 66%...on a really good ferm. you might hit mid 70s....your going to finish high teens regardless...is there sugar added?

 

[TacoGuthrie]

Sugar? As in is there corn sugar/ dextrose in the ingredients? No.

I've made this recipe 4X before but it has been with S-05 and WY1098. It always gets down to 1.016 to 1.018. This is the first time i've used this yeast.

 

[hadabar]

id give it another week...see what happens...

I've had really good luck with us-05 too...

I had a vial of wlp 007 stall on me, at 1.020....wierd for that yeast. I ve oxygenated and pitched nutrients ever since with starters and never had a problem since...did you oxygenate?

 

[TacoGuthrie]

I do try to shake my starter as often as possible for oxygenation. I probably stir it up 6-10 times a day.

Still, my last few batches i've had more stalls than i would like (my notes tell me 3 out of last 5 took longer to ferment than i had planned) . Usually between 1.020 and 1.026. I think i need to analyse my starter methods and do more research on them.

 

[hadabar]

well I was referring to your carboy, do you oxygenate the wort? either pure oxy, or aquarium pump? this helped me alot...i was having the same problem...real vigorus start, it would stop around .020

 

[TacoGuthrie]

Hey hadabar - Thanks for the suggestion. I think that is definitely something i could do better.

The only oxygenation i've been doing is inadvertent. My wort comes out my brew pot spigot, falls 6 inches into a large funnel then down into my carboy. I will start by doing more shaking and in the meantime i'll look for the next step up. Is that an aquarium pump? I'll search around.

Do I shake the carboy before I pitch yeast or after?

 

[jtakacs]

let it sit imo, but freeze the hops.

 

[hadabar]

Hey hadabar - Thanks for the suggestion. I think that is definitely something i could do better.

The only oxygenation i've been doing is inadvertent. My wort comes out my brew pot spigot, falls 6 inches into a large funnel then down into my carboy. I will start by doing more shaking and in the meantime i'll look for the next step up. Is that an aquarium pump? I'll search around.

Do I shake the carboy before I pitch yeast or after?

id say the next step up for me was the aquarium pump....i kinda jumped in with everything, after the bad experience with my stuck ferm. I started oxygenating, making starters and adding nutrient. I just need to upgrade to some temp control. which probably should be first. I use a swamp cooler. but I live in florida. right now temps are changing 40 degrees, between night and day. I'm not home much so this could use an improvement. I used the aeration kit from NB. and bought a flask for starters. I don't have a stir plate right now. kind wanted to get the temp control first. either way. the proof is in the beer. its been much better. can't keep it around, friends just drink it up. there not the only ones to blame though

 

[hadabar]

let it sit imo, but freeze the hops.

I conqur...+1